Reunited
by Lily MJ Fae
Summary: CONTAINS CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!


_**A/N:**_ _SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD! THIS IS A SPOILERY, POST FILM FIC._

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 _For those of you that have seen it, Please enjoy. This is continuing to play off of the ideas i've used in my "what if" fic "Alone in Paris" and the kind of immediately post film fic "Picking up the Broken Pieces". It's finally a reunion of Jacob and Queenie after everything that has happened. And for anyone wondering at all: I think the little girl who plays Marie Therese in Marie Antoinette is the perfect child here._

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Events blurred by from that raid. It was the first one that she'd gone on in the many years under his service. With the child and her skills better used elsewhere, not risked. She'd had no intention of going, but had been dragged alone. And seeing her sister, coming face to face and wand to wand with Tina, Queenie knew in her heart of hearts, this was her one chance to finally leave. It was going to risk absolutely everything.

But she'd turned it. She turned away from Tina, cast a few spells and hexes at the people she'd lived among for years. The people who'd helped her so much, in raising her daughter. They fell, they screamed, and Tina even had been surprised. But Queenie had to move far too quickly. She disapparated for Nurmengard, her quarters and dismissed the houseelf that was watching the toddler. Their belongings flew into a rushed mess into a bag. She didn't have time, and couldn't even wait for everything. Toys and blankets and many of her own clothes were left as she scooped her child into her arms and grabbed the bag, disapparating out. It took a lot of effort and will to get the two of them far enough away, _safely_ , before she could make her way back home. She barely held enough of any belongings or money, though more than she'd ever made in MACUSA. And so she used every scrap of it to hide herself amongst the muggles, making her way back to England, to turn herself in, under the request that Tina Goldstein. Tina Scamander, she'd been corrected.

There'd been a long discussion, and Tina took in Queenie while she was processed and tried. In the end, they made a deal. And she gave them all the information she could. While she was locked away, Tina took care of her niece. But waiting to see if Queenie would have the opportunity to tell Jacob herself. They'd given her only months. Months that dragged by slowly.

The little girl had cried upon seeing her mother again and wouldn't let go. And Queenie had cried too, holding the little girl's curls, snuggling her.

It was another month before she was able to ask where Jacob was. Jacob deserved to know about their daughter. Newt and Tina had been kind in letting them stay in their house. And Newt had called Jacob to the house.

She was sitting in the living room with the little girl, a doll in hand. The wrong doll, of course. But she couldn't get the right one anymore. It was gone for good. And she couldn't risk going back for it.

"Mama can't get her," she murmured softly as the little girl cried and looked at her.

The door opened, and closed. And Jacob walked in. Her eyes flicked up, growing wide in that moment as she stood and dropped the doll to the ground. "Jacob." Her voice was small, weak, almost breaking.

Jacob looked at Queenie, then his eyes fell to the little girl at her feet, arms now raised for her mother. Queenie obliged picking her up.

"Wha-" Jacob started. Who was the child? How old was she? Dear God, she was like a mini Queenie, beautiful and lovely.

"She's my daughter...our daughter," she answered, realizing after that she shouldn't have. She needed to earn that right. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't do that." Tears were already streaming down her face.

"Ours?"

She gave a gentle nod, kissing her daughter who started wiping away the tears. "Mama why cry?"

"Mama is okay," she promised, smiling at her daughter. Her gaze flickered back to Jacob. "I was pregnant, when everything happened. I didn't know, before I...I enchanted you."

Jacob had tears in his own eyes, looking between them. The little girl turning to face him wholly, revealing his eyes on her precious little face. She turned back and buried her face into her mother, hiding and any.

"I was a little sure in Paris, but…not quite. I didn't know for sure until after...Nurmengard. Everything I've done since then was to protect her."

Queenie slowly stepped closer, shifting the girl in her arms. "I named her Clementine. After my mother. I'd have given her your mother's name too…. Only I didn't know it…"

"Ruta. It was Ruta," Jacob mumbled. His hand raised hesitantly, faltered, and fell.

Queenie's hand stroked the blonde curls of her daughter.

"Clem, sweetie, you can stop hiding. He's not a stranger," she murmured. "This is your daddy."

The little turned just enough to look at Jacob again. "Dada?"

Jacob's breathing hitched, and a choked sound came from him at the word.

She hid her face again, clinging tighter to Queenie, who looked apologetic. "She's not normally so shy," she told him. "But in my haste I left behind her favorite doll and she's missing everyone, and she misses home…" The little girl being so used to certain things and being innocent in any of the committed crimes.

"Aunt Vinda," the little girl asked, looking at her mom.

Queenie sighed. "She's not here sweetie. It's just mama. But remember, I told you all about aunt Tina, and our friend Newt. He's your uncle. And I told you all about your daddy."

"Vinda!"

Queenie's eyes flickered to Jacob, wide and fearful. "I'm sorry…" she said. "Hold on. There's a...a sheep around here somewhere. It's got a lullaby to help her sleep. It's about nap time."

She looked around, about to cast a summoning charm when Jacob walked across the room, bent over and picked something up before returning and handing it over to her.

"Thank you," she murmured, squeezing it and placing it next to the girl in her arms. Then she rocked the girl to sleep, slowly. Once it was apparent Clementine was asleep, Queenie laid her softly on the couch, summoning a blanket to cover her with.

"I know there's a lot to catch up on," she told Jacob after a moment. "And you've gotta have a million questions. And you must hate me….for leaving and now for….well that you missed this…"

Jacob shook his head. "Hey, hey no. I don't hate you, baby."

It tugged just enough at her heartstrings, hearing him still call her baby, that she sobbed, letting herself fall carefully to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have enchanted you. I shouldn't have run off like I did. I shouldn't have joined him…" she was crying, burying her face into her hands as she sat haphazardly on the floor.

Jacob came to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Honey…" but he wasn't sure what to say. She was right. She shouldn't have done those things. But he still loved her. None of that had changed. He still loved her with all his heart, perhaps even more so now that he'd seen the child they created together.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness...and that I ruined everything between us. But I wanted you to know about her. She's as much yours…"

His arms were around her in a hug, squeezing tight, something that only caused a further break down from her and more sobbing.

"Hey, hey. I'm just glad you're back," he murmured. "I been worried. Me and Tina both were. We wanted nothing more than to bring you home safe."

Another sob, of guilt and shame wracked her body, though she buried her face into Jacob, if only to muffle the sound and not disturb their now sleeping daughter.

"I been fighting to come see you, baby," he told her. "I wasn't sure why Tina stopped letting me come over, though I guess I know now."

This was the man who had stolen her heart, the only crime he'd ever committed as far as she was concerned. She'd hurt him, betrayed him, and left him. But he was still here, comforting her, protecting her.

She calmed and looked at him, puffy and red-eyed.

Her eyes went wide as she remembered something, pulling a box from her coat pocket.

"This is for you."

Jacob opened the box, and though it'd been years, he recognized the piece of wood almost immediately. "Honey, what's this?"

She swallowed. "I...it's not a perfect gesture. Because I can still do basic things without it, and...read people without it. But...I couldn't use it against you ever again. Or anyone."

He tried to push the box back towards her. "No, honey, that's not-"

"Jacob, please. I...I can't do anything to right what I've done. I know that. But I can do this to prove that I want to try."

"Honey, we'd never ask you to give anything up."

"I know. That's why I'm giving."

She pushed the box in his direction. Perhaps in the years to come, she'd accept it again. But she didn't want that anymore. She wanted a life with just her daughter, her family...and even if it was only a little, Jacob. But for now, she didn't need it. It wasn't important.

This was the first step to redemption.


End file.
